Riddled with defensive player setbacks while reaching the Super Bowl a year ago, the Broncos were reminded Tuesday that injuries are a problem that never go away. They are only to be overcome.

Losing Danny Trevathan for a spell might not be so easy. He was the Broncos' leading tackler last season, a starting weakside linebacker who serves as their in-game defensive play-caller.

Trevathan is expected to miss at least the first three games of the season after he fractured a bone below his left knee during practice Tuesday. Trevathan suffered what the team called a left medial tibial impaction fracture. He is expected to miss six to eight weeks, which places his return after the team's bye week in Week 4.

"He's a vital part of our defense, but not too many people heard of Danny a couple years ago and you never know what might happen," said Broncos coach John Fox.

Trevathan sent out his reaction to the injury via Twitter: "Just know that's the only way I'm leaving that damn field!''

He is a proven tough guy. Trevathan was carted off the field during a practice last season and returned four days later to make five tackles and come up with a game-deciding interception in the Broncos' 51-48 victory at Dallas.

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He was one of few defensive starters who avoided serious injury last season. The Broncos had to play much of last season without defensive starters Von Miller, Chris Harris, Champ Bailey, Derek Wolfe, Rahim Moore and Kevin Vickerson. Still, the Broncos claimed the No. 1 AFC playoff seed and conference championship thanks to their oft-repeated, next-man-up mantra. Oh, and a record-setting offense led by quarterback Peyton Manning.

"We'll just shuffle the next guy in and he's expected to perform well, and I'm sure they will," Fox said.

Already in 2014, the Broncos' resolve has been tested. Starting running back Montee Ball underwent an appendectomy last week. Trevathan suffered a more serious injury while trying to defend a running play during an 11-on-11 drill.

Trevathan was on the ground in obvious pain for several minutes.

"I was watching the play. I didn't see everything that happened," said Brandon Marshall, who is the next man up to replace Trevathan. "It didn't look good, honestly. But I'm hoping and praying it's OK."

After trainer Steve "Greek" Antonopulos and his assistants tried to help Trevathan up, the linebacker went back on the ground, and the cart was wheeled on the field to take him off.

After getting off the cart, Trevathan was unable to put weight on his left leg as he was helped into the trainer's room. Wolfe and Broncos' middle linebacker Nate Irving came over to deliver some quick words of encouragement to Trevathan.

In some ways his absence is not good timing as the Broncos' first three games are against three playoff teams from last season — Indianapolis, Kansas City and Seattle. Combined 2013 record of those opponents: 35-13. The Broncos' fourth game, their first after the bye week, is against the Arizona Cardinals, who finished 10-6 last season.

Still, Trevathan's injury could have been worse. It wasn't a displaced fracture, which would have required a surgical procedure involving pins and screws. There weren't any knee ligament tears, which would have meant a longer recovery.

"It will mean crutches for a period of time," said Dr. Ben Mandelbaum, an orthopedic surgeon in Santa Monica, Calif., familiar with this type of injury. "The degree of the impaction injury will decide how long he's on the crutches."

An overachieving sixth-round pick in the 2012 draft out of Kentucky, Trevathan became a nickel linebacker as a rookie, then beat out Wesley Woodyard for the starting weakside linebacker position last season and led the Broncos with 84 tackles.

"Danny's a fighter," said rookie linebacker Lamin Barrow. "If it's not broken he's going to be back out there. It was kind of scary when he went down. You don't really know what happened. We just got on our knees and said our prayers that he'll be back out here."

It's broken, so Marshall will be Trevathan's immediate replacement at weakside linebacker. Selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, Marshall spent most of last season on the Broncos' practice squad.

Barrow, another fifth-round pick who was a weakside linebacker in college but was converting to middle linebacker with the Broncos, is behind Marshall.

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